Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight's population grew in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in religion, marriage and health.

The population reached nearly 140,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Isle of Wight increased by 4.2%, from almost 133,000 to 138,000.

The addition of about 5,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Isle of Wight was home to, on average, 2.6 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was similar to the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Isle of Wight

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Isle of Wight increased by two years, from 44 to 46 years.

This coastal area had a higher average age than the South East and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of almost 5,400 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 3,000.

About 15% of people in Isle of Wight are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Isle of Wight by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Isle of Wight

The number of people in Isle of Wight that described themselves as having no religion increased from just under 23,000 in 2001 to just under 41,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 30% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Isle of Wight that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 98,000 in 2001 to just under 84,000 in 2011 (from 74% to 61%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 10,000 to about 11,000 (from 7.9% to 8.2%).

About 910 people (0.5%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from about 600 in 2001 (0.7%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Isle of Wight increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Isle of Wight by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Isle of Wight

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Isle of Wight, but at a slower rate than in nearby Portsmouth.

In Isle of Wight, the proportion of single people increased from 24% in 2001 to 28% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Portsmouth increased from 36% to 44%.

Across the South East, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 29% to 32%.

The proportion of married people in Isle of Wight fell from 53% to 48%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 12% to 14%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Isle of Wight residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 9.7% to 6.5% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (77%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 65% in 2001. The percentage of Isle of Wight residents that described their health as fair decreased from 25% to 16%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Isle of Wight decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Isle of Wight, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Isle of Wight

The number of people in Isle of Wight from the White ethnic groups remained close to 130,000 between the last two seasons. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 99% to 97%.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across the South East (from 95% to 91%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Isle of Wight from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 720 in 2001 to about 1,700 in 2011 (from 0.5% to 1.2%). The number of residents from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 560 to about 1,500 (from 0.4% to 1.1%).

About 300 people (0.2%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, similar to the amount in 2001 (which at the time represented 0.2%)

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Isle of Wight decreased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Isle of Wight by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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